Ask the Experts
Your ePainBook has been a great resource for me when researching pain conditions for both myself and my family members. However, I still have questions that the ePainBook did not answer – and I am specifically wondering if there is a website where I could watch a video of my upcoming procedure? Can you help? There is a new website I would like to refer you to and believe you may find useful – www.PainDoctor.com. This website, while new, is quickly emerging as the global knowledge base for pain. Specifically, PainDoctor.com hosts The Knowledge Center, a vast virtual library of articles written by experts in pain management. Articles are categorized into procedures and conditions. You will also be able to find a section on health and wellness which should prove useful, as it will include information and suggestions for techniques to be used at home to relieve pain. PainDoctor.com also hosts live procedure videos! The video library is constantly growing, so if you don’t see the procedure you were looking for, continue to check the website for updates. Additionally, you will now be able to see shorter, more informative episodes of The Pain Show, brought to you by PainDoctor.com. This exciting change features expert sections in which physicians fully explain the procedure, as well as testimonials of patients who have had success from various procedures. With the start of summer, I am finding it harder to walk outside for my daily exercise. Is there something else I can do? Move it into the pool! Known as water aerobics, water-cise and aqua-cise, exercising in water is a great workout – in addition to being extremely beneficial for those with chronic pain conditions. Water aerobics classes can be fun and offer a community of people exercising right along with you. If a class is not an option, you can get good exercise in any pool, any time. If you are a good swimmer and your pain condition is not negatively affected by swimming, doing laps is fantastic cardiovascular exercise. If swimming laps isn’t ideal for you, merely walking in water that is up to your shoulders will also give you a good cardiovascular workout. Be sure to keep your feet flat, however – walking on your tiptoes can cause your calves to ache and cramp. Another good exercise to get your heart rate elevated is to simply march in place. Standing in water at shoulder level, march in place with exaggerated motions – be sure to extend your arms and legs as far as possible. While both of those exercises may seem ineffectual in theory, in actuality, water creates enough resistance to make walking and marching difficult enough to elevate your heart rate. If your fitness level and pain condition allow it, there are weights made specifically for pool exercising. These can be ordered online, or found in your local pool or sporting goods stores. As with any fitness program, check with your physician before you begin, and go slowly until you are used to the resistance the water provides. -Dr. Tory McJunkin Back to Arizona Pain Monthly
